U.S. patent number 9,390,625 [Application Number 13/241,398] was granted by the patent office on 2016-07-12 for system and method for automatic traffic accident determination and notification.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Cyber Physical Systems, Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is William Blease Green, Chris Thompson. Invention is credited to William Blease Green, Chris Thompson.
United States Patent |
9,390,625 |
Green , et al. |
July 12, 2016 |
System and method for automatic traffic accident determination and
notification
Abstract
A vehicle status awareness system includes one or more devices
which are plugged into a cigarette lighter socket for a vehicle to
receive power and are thereby fixed in position relative to the
vehicle. The devices include movement sensors which indicate
changes in movement of the vehicle, a position sensor which
indicates a position of the vehicle, a communications device to
send and receive data to and from a remote device, and a control
unit. The control unit is programmed to receive and store program
parameters, determine a location of the vehicle, determine a
movement status of the vehicle based on a plurality of status
criteria further comprising accident threshold settings, and
transmit one or more of the program parameters, vehicle location,
and movement status to the remote device. Where multiple devices
are included, each device may have an RF transceiver or equivalent
for bidirectional communications with the other device.
Inventors: |
Green; William Blease
(Nashville, TN), Thompson; Chris (Nashville, TN) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Green; William Blease
Thompson; Chris |
Nashville
Nashville |
TN
TN |
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Cyber Physical Systems, Inc.
(Nashville, TN)
|
Family
ID: |
47391414 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/241,398 |
Filed: |
September 23, 2011 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20130006469 A1 |
Jan 3, 2013 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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61387470 |
Sep 29, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R
21/013 (20130101); G08G 1/205 (20130101); G07C
5/008 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G08G
1/00 (20060101); B60R 21/013 (20060101); G07C
5/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;701/1,36,300-302,414,423 ;342/454-456 ;340/907,908,995.13 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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0758087 |
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Dec 1997 |
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EP |
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2461847 |
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Jan 2010 |
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GB |
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2004175251 |
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Jun 2004 |
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JP |
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2006199088 |
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Aug 2006 |
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JP |
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2009134206 |
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Nov 2009 |
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WO |
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Other References
Merritor WABCO's OnGuard Collision Safety System Driver Tips(2009).
cited by examiner .
White, J., et al: "WreckWatch: Automatic Traffic Accident Detection
and Notification with Smartphones," Journal of Mobile Networks and
Applications manuascript No. Mar. 22, 2011. cited by applicant
.
International Search Report in corresponding International
Application No. PCT/US2012/056024, mailing date Mar. 4, 2013, 5 pp.
cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Lin; Abby
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Patterson Intellectual Property
Law, P.C. Montle; Gary L.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims benefit of the following patent
application(s) which is/are hereby incorporated by reference: U.S.
Provisional Application No. 61/387,470 filed on Sep. 29, 2010.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An accident detection device for automatically detecting
vehicular accidents and providing accident notification, the
accident detection device comprising: an integral housing
comprising a plug configured for coupling to a power source socket
associated with any one of a plurality of vehicles, said housing
positioned in a fixed manner relative to the vehicle when coupled
thereto; an energy storage device residing within the housing; a
power supply residing within the housing and configured to receive
power from the power source when the housing is coupled to the
power source socket, and further to receive power from the energy
storage device when the housing is detached from the power source
socket; one or more movement sensors residing within the housing
and effective to generate output signals associated with movement
of the vehicle; a position sensor residing within the housing and
effective to generate output signals associated with a position of
the vehicle; a communications device residing within the housing
and effective to send and receive data via a communications
network; and a control unit residing within the housing and
functionally linked to each of said power supply, movement sensors,
position sensor and communications device and further comprising a
processor and one or more memory media, at least one of said memory
media having program instructions residing thereon which upon
execution by the processor are further effective to receive and
store accident threshold settings comprising an acceleration
threshold and a velocity threshold sent via the communications
device, determine a location of the vehicle based on the position
sensor output signals, upon receiving input power from the power
source, to begin continuously receiving acceleration and velocity
data as the output signals from the one or more movement sensors;
compare the acceleration data to the acceleration threshold and
compare the velocity data to the velocity threshold; detect removal
of the accident detection device from the power source socket;
determine a movement status of the vehicle including a potential
accident condition indicating whether the removal of the accident
detection device from the power source socket was a forcible
ejection due to an accident, based on the comparison of the
acceleration data and the velocity data to the respective
thresholds, and transmit one or more of said vehicle location and
movement status via the communications device to a predetermined
emergency contact upon determining a movement status associated
with an accident.
2. The accident detection device of claim 1, the housing further
comprising a cigarette lighter plug configured to engage a
cigarette lighter socket as said power source socket associated
with the vehicle.
3. The accident detection device of claim 1, the housing having an
interior and an exterior, the accident detection device further
comprising a button residing on the exterior of the housing and
functionally linked to the control unit residing in the interior of
the housing, the program instructions further effective to perform
a predetermined data transmission operation in accordance with user
engagement of said button.
4. The accident detection device of claim 3, the predetermined data
transmission operation comprising transmitting one or more of
program parameters, vehicle location, movement status and audio
recordings to a predetermined destination via the communications
device.
5. The accident detection device of claim 1, wherein determining
the movement status of the vehicle further comprises comparing
received audio signals to an audio accident threshold setting; and
confirming the determined accident condition where received audio
signals exceed the audio accident threshold setting.
6. The accident detection device of claim 5, wherein the operation
of comparing the received audio signals to the audio accident
threshold setting comprises matching signatures for the received
audio signals with a sampling of airbag detonation sound
profiles.
7. The accident detection device of claim 5, wherein the operation
of comparing the received audio signals to the audio accident
threshold setting comprises matching signatures for the received
audio signals with a predetermined decibel level.
8. The accident detection device of claim 1, the control unit
further effective to confirm that the removal of the accident
detection device from the power source socket was a forcible
ejection due to an accident, based on detected sounds consistent
with airbag deployment via an audio sensor disposed within the
integral housing.
9. A system for automatically detecting vehicular accidents and
providing accident notification, the system comprising: an
apparatus having an integral housing and further therein
comprising: a plug configured for coupling to a power source socket
associated with any one of a plurality of vehicles, wherein the
housing is positioned in a fixed manner relative to the vehicle
when coupled thereto; an energy storage device residing within the
integral housing; a power supply configured to receive power from a
power source when the housing is coupled to the power source
socket, and further to receive power from the energy storage device
when the housing is detached from the power source socket; one or
more movement sensors configured to generate output signals
associated with movement of the vehicle; a position sensor
configured to generate output signals associated with a position of
the vehicle; a controller configured, upon receiving input power
from the power source, to begin continuously receiving acceleration
data and velocity data from the one or more movement sensors; a
communications device configured to send and receive data via a
communications network; and one or more servers linked to the
communications device via the network and comprising a computer
program product executable by a processor to direct the performance
of operations comprising: determining a location of the vehicle
based on the position sensor output signals, comparing the
acceleration data to an acceleration threshold and comparing the
velocity data to a velocity threshold, detecting removal of the
apparatus from the power source socket, determining a movement
status comprising whether the removal of the apparatus from the
power source socket was a forcible ejection due to an accident,
based on the comparison of the acceleration data and the velocity
data to the respective thresholds, and generating a user interface
configured to display one or more of the vehicle location and
movement status, and to receive remote user input for programming
the apparatus.
10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an audio sensor
residing within the housing and functionally linked to the control
unit, wherein the computer program product is further executable to
direct the performance of receiving audio output signals from the
audio sensor and confirming that the removal of the apparatus from
the power source socket was a forcible ejection due to the
accident, based on detected sounds consistent with airbag
deployment via the received audio output signals.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operation of confirming
that the removal of the apparatus from the power source socket was
a forcible ejection due to the accident comprises matching
signatures for the received audio signals with a sampling of airbag
detonation sound profiles.
12. The system of claim 10, wherein the operation of confirming
that the removal of the apparatus from the power source socket was
a forcible ejection due to the accident comprises matching
signatures for the received audio signals with a predetermined
decibel level.
Description
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright
owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document
or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all
copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a device and system for
determining the status of a vehicle and transmitting associated
data. More particularly, the present invention relates to a
portable onboard device for measuring data associated with a status
of a vehicle, determining a status possibly including an accident
or other notable event, and transmitting data or alerts based on
the determined status and/or measured data.
Vehicular accidents are one of the leading causes of fatalities in
the U.S., causing over one hundred fatalities daily. In 2007 alone,
more than 43,100 deaths resulted from 10.6 million accidents. For
every 100 licensed teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19, there
will be 21 traffic accidents, making such accidents the leading
cause of death for that age group in the U.S.
A number of technological and sociological improvements have helped
reduce vehicle-related fatalities. For example, each 1% increase in
seatbelt usage is estimated to save 136 lives. Advanced life saving
measures, such as electronic stability control, also show
significant promise for reducing injuries. Crash analysis studies
have shown the approximately 34% of fatal traffic accidents could
have been prevented with the use of electronic stability control.
Moreover, each minute that an injured crash victim does not receive
emergency medical care can make a large difference in their
survival rate. Analysis shows that reducing accident response time
by one minute correlates to a 6% difference in the number of lives
saved.
An effective approach for reducing fatalities, therefore, is to
reduce the time between when an accident occurs and when first
responders, such as medical personnel, are dispatched to the scene
of the accident. Automatic collision notification systems use
sensors embedded in a car to determine when an accident has
occurred. These systems immediately dispatch emergency medical
personnel to serious accidents. It has been shown that automatic
crash notification on average reduces fatalities by 6%.
Conventional vehicular sensor systems for accident detection, such
as for example BMW's Automatic Crash Notification System or GM's
OnStar, notify a call monitoring center immediately by utilizing
built-in cellular radios and detect car accidents with in-vehicle
sensors, such as accelerometers and airbag deployment monitors. The
call center subsequently contacts a public safety answering point
(i.e., 911) which then notifies and dispatches emergency
responders.
Unfortunately, most cars in the U.S. do not have automatic accident
detection and notification systems. Only in 2007 did automatic
notification systems become standard options in GM vehicles and
most other non-luxury manufacturers do not include these systems as
a standard option. Based on 2007 traffic accident data, automatic
traffic accident detection and notification systems could have
saved 2,460 lives (i.e., 6% of 41,000 fatalities) had they been in
universal use. A key impediment to including these systems is that
they are infeasible or prohibitively expensive to install in
existing vehicles and add to the initial cost of new vehicles.
Moreover, these systems can be rendered obsolete, as evidenced by
GM removing 500,000 subscribers from the OnStar service because
they were equipped with analog (rather than digital) communications
systems and were therefore incompatible with their newer
communications systems.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an embodiment an automatic vehicular accident determination
device in accordance with the present invention includes a housing
configured for coupling to a power source associated with a
vehicle, with the housing being positioned in a fixed manner
relative to the vehicle when it is coupled to the power source. A
power supply residing within the housing is configured to receive
power from the power source when the housing is coupled to the
power source. One or more movement sensors reside within the
housing and generate output signals associated with movement of the
vehicle. A position sensor resides within the housing and generates
output signals associated with a position of the vehicle. A
communications device resides within the housing and sends and
receives data to and from a remote device via a communications
network. A control unit is functionally linked to each of the
various components and further includes a processor and one or more
memory media. At least one of the memory media has program
instructions residing thereon and executable by the processor to
receive and store program parameters such as accident threshold
settings sent to the communications device via the communications
network, determine a location of the vehicle based on the position
sensor output signals, determine a movement status of the vehicle
based on the movement sensor output signals and the accident
threshold settings, and transmit one or more of the program
parameters, vehicle location, and movement status to the remote
device.
In one aspect of the present invention, the housing may be a
cigarette lighter plug configured to engage a cigarette lighter
socket as the power source associated with the vehicle.
In another aspect, the housing may include a first portion as the
cigarette lighter plug configured on a first end for coupling to
the cigarette lighter socket and positioned in a fixed manner
relative to the vehicle when coupled thereto, and a second portion
coupled to the second end of the first portion and moveable between
a first and a second position. A locking mechanism may be provided
to permit movement by the second portion relative to the first
portion in a first state and to prevent movement by the second
portion relative to the first portion in a second state.
In another aspect, the device may further include an audio sensor,
wherein the program instructions may further receive audio output
signals from the audio sensor and determine a movement status of
the vehicle based on the movement sensor output signals, the audio
sensor output signals and the accident threshold settings.
In another aspect, a button may be provided on the exterior of the
housing, with the program instructions further effective to perform
a predetermined data transmission operation in accordance with user
engagement of the button. The predetermined data transmission
operation may include for example transmitting one or more of the
program parameters, vehicle location, movement status and audio
recordings to a predetermined destination via the communications
device.
In alternative embodiments, a device in accordance with the present
invention may include a first housing as for example the cigarette
lighter plug configured for coupling to a power source associated
with the vehicle such as for example the cigarette lighter socket,
and positioned in a fixed manner relative to the vehicle when
coupled thereto, and a second housing electrically coupled to the
first housing. The second housing may also be fixed in position
relative to the vehicle, in which case the various components of
the device may be distributed among either of the housings.
Alternatively, the second housing may not be fixed in position
relative to the vehicle, in which case the movement sensor resides
in the first housing, and the remaining various components of the
device are distributed among either of the housings.
In further alternative embodiments, a vehicle status awareness
system includes at least first and second devices configured for
coupling to a power source associated with the vehicle and
positioned in a fixed manner relative to the vehicle when coupled
thereto, with at least one of said first and second devices having
a housing configured for coupling to a power source associated with
a vehicle and positioned in a fixed manner relative to the vehicle
when it is coupled to the power source. A power supply residing
within the housing is configured to receive power from the power
source when the housing is coupled to the power source. One or more
movement sensors reside within the housing and generate output
signals associated with movement of the vehicle. A position sensor
resides within the housing and generates output signals associated
with a position of the vehicle. A communications device resides
within the housing and sends and receives data to and from a remote
device via a communications network. A control unit is functionally
linked to each of the various components and further includes a
processor and one or more memory media. At least one of the memory
media has program instructions residing thereon and executable by
the processor to receive and store program parameters sent to the
communications device via the communications network, determine a
location of the vehicle based on the position sensor output
signals, determine a movement status of the vehicle based on the
movement sensor output signals and a plurality of status criteria
such as for example accident threshold settings, and transmit one
or more of the program parameters, vehicle location, and movement
status to the remote device.
In another aspect of such embodiments, the at least first and
second devices include an RF transceiver or equivalent device for
communicating with each other. Such a system may benefit from
redundancy of resources, whether in the event of a device failure
or for example to confirm a determined vehicle status such as an
accident.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of a device according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a rear isometric view of the device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a front isometric view of a device according to another
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram representing a host system according to
an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram representing an embodiment of a device
configuration according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram representing another embodiment of a
device configuration according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram representing another embodiment of a
device configuration according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram representing internal components of an
exemplary device according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart representing an embodiment of an exemplary
method for detecting a vehicle status, more particularly an
accident, in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram representing a host system according to
another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart representing an embodiment of another
exemplary method for detecting a vehicle status, more particularly
an accident, in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart representing an embodiment of an exemplary
method for real time driver feedback and third party notifications
in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart representing an embodiment of an exemplary
method for automatic speed limit database updating in accordance
with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take
at least the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the
context dictates otherwise. The meanings identified below do not
necessarily limit the terms, but merely provide illustrative
examples for the terms. The meaning of "a," "an," and "the" may
include plural references, and the meaning of "in" may include "in"
and "on." The phrase "in one embodiment," as used herein does not
necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may.
The term "coupled" means at least either a direct electrical
connection between the connected items or an indirect connection
through one or more passive or active intermediary devices. The
term "circuit" means at least either a single component or a
multiplicity of components, either active and/or passive, that are
coupled together to provide a desired function. The term "signal"
as used herein may include any meanings as may be understood by
those of ordinary skill in the art, including at least an electric
or magnetic representation of current, voltage, charge,
temperature, data or a state of one or more memory locations as
expressed on one or more transmission mediums, and generally
capable of being transmitted, received, stored, compared, combined
or otherwise manipulated in any equivalent manner.
Terms such as "providing," "processing," "supplying,"
"determining," "calculating" or the like may refer at least to an
action of a computer system, computer program, signal processor,
logic or alternative analog or digital electronic device that may
be transformative of signals represented as physical quantities,
whether automatically or manually initiated.
Referring generally to FIGS. 1-13, various embodiments of systems,
devices, and methods in accordance with the present invention may
be described herein. Where the various figures may describe
embodiments sharing various common elements and features with other
embodiments, similar elements and features are given the same
reference numerals and redundant description thereof may be omitted
below.
Generally stated, a local device is configured in accordance with
the present invention to detect a vehicle status, such as for
example an accident or even unsafe driving conditions, and provide
output signals to local and/or remote devices or indicators
representative of vehicle data and vehicle status. A host system
may include a central server configured to send and receive data to
and from the device, and a user interface such as for example a
hosted website generated via the central server or a program
application downloaded to and generated from a remote user device
such as for example a smartphone, the user interface being
optionally configured to display the vehicle data and status
received from the local device and/or to receive remote user input
for programming the local device. The local device may in various
embodiments be a dedicated or standalone device for use in (and
powered by a power source associated with) a vehicle such as for
example a cigarette lighter adapter as further described below, or
may be a computing device having numerous alternative uses such as
for example a smartphone running a dedicated program
application.
Referring first to FIGS. 1-2, front and rear isometric views are
shown representing an embodiment of a standalone local device 10 in
accordance with the present invention. An integral housing 12 is
shown here which includes power supply terminals 14 on a first end
defining a cigarette lighter plug for coupling to an onboard power
supply of a vehicle such as a cigarette lighter socket, although in
various embodiments (not shown) the local device 10 may include
alternative power supply terminals or power input means to receive
power from an alternative local power source.
As the local device protrudes outward from the cigarette lighter
socket of a vehicle when it is plugged in, in other embodiments
(not shown) it may be desirable that the housing 12 include a
bendable, rotatable or otherwise moveable portion which may allow
an opposing or distal end of the housing 12 with respect to the
cigarette lighter plug leads 14 to be positioned in a practical
fashion and thereby accommodate varying vehicle interior designs.
In such embodiments, the moveable portion of the housing 12 may
further include a locking mechanism such as a latch that prevents
the moveable portion from moving relative to the first end (i.e.,
the cigarette lighter plug) once it is locked into position.
The distal end of the device 10 as shown in FIGS. 1-2 further
includes a button 16 as a local user interface occupying some
portion of a face (or otherwise disposed along a length of the
housing 12) which may be used for engaging the device 10 and
causing internal control circuitry to perform predetermined
functions as further described below. The distal end may further
include other visual indicators 18 such as for example a plurality
of LED outputs 18 located within the button 16 (as shown in FIG. 1)
or on a portion of a face of the distal end proximate the button 16
(as shown in FIG. 3), or any other practical and visually
accessible location about the housing 12. The various visual
indicators 18 may be configured to indicate to a driver that the
device is functional, or may be an indicator of driving performance
or some other predetermined indicator as programmed into the device
10. In a particular exemplary embodiment, the device 10 may include
three lights arranged to be visible to a driver when plugged into
the cigarette lighter socket and colored green, yellow and red to
indicate driving performance.
Another portion of the housing 12 may include slits, holes or other
equivalent openings 20 to allow for audio input and output with
respect to internal components such as a microphone, etc. In
various embodiments (not shown) the device 10 may contain a
connector and/or cable for the purpose of physically connecting to
another device, such as a 30-pin cable which may or may not be
detachable from the device 10. The device 10 may further contain a
small pin-sized button (not shown) that is not easily depressed for
the purposes of programming the device 10.
Referring now to FIG. 4, an exemplary hosted system 40 according to
an embodiment of the present invention may include a server 44
functionally and communicatively linked to the local device 10 via
a communications network 42. Alternatively, a distributed server
network may be used to provide or facilitate the same functions.
The term "communications network" as used herein with respect to
data communication between two or more parties or otherwise between
communications network interfaces associated with two or more
parties may refer to any one of, or a combination of any two or
more of, telecommunications networks (whether wired, wireless,
cellular or the like), a global network such as the Internet, local
networks, network links, Internet Service Providers (ISP's), and
intermediate communication interfaces.
The hosted server 44 in the example shown may include without
limitation one or more processors 46, a computer-readable memory
medium 48 and a database 50. The term "computer-readable memory
medium" as used herein may refer to any non-transitory medium alone
or as one of a plurality of non-transitory memory media within
which is embodied a computer program product that includes
processor-executable software, instructions or program modules
which upon execution may provide data or otherwise cause the server
44 or equivalent computer system to implement subject matter or
otherwise operate in a specific manner as further defined herein.
It may further be understood that more than one type of memory
media may be used in combination to conduct processor-executable
software, instructions or program modules from a first memory
medium upon which the software, instructions or program modules
initially reside to a processor for execution.
"Memory media" may further include without limitation transmission
media and/or storage media. "Storage media" may refer in an
equivalent manner to volatile and non-volatile, removable and
non-removable media, including at least dynamic memory, application
specific integrated circuits (ASIC), chip memory devices, optical
or magnetic disk memory devices, flash memory devices, or any other
medium which may be used to stored data in a processor-accessible
manner, and may unless otherwise stated either reside on a single
computing platform or be distributed across a plurality of such
platforms. "Transmission media" may include any tangible media
effective to permit processor-executable software, instructions or
program modules residing on the media to be read and executed by a
processor, including without limitation wire, cable, fiber-optic
and wireless media such as is known in the art.
The software products residing on the hosted server 44 may be
effective to for example generate a user interface 52 such as a
website and associated web pages to display data received from the
local device 10 or receive data from a user for programming the
local device 10. Data from the local device 10 may further be
stored in the database 50 in an account associated with a user and
used for data trending or other intermediate- to long-term
statistical analysis or reporting. The hosted server 44 may further
provide software products for downloading via the user interface 52
or by other known transmission media (or via third party servers
such as for example conventionally known mobile application
markets) to a user device 54 such that upon execution of a
host-provided program the user may be able to remotely access data
from the local device 10 or otherwise program the local device 10
via a communications network 42 without further requiring the use
of the host system 40 as an intermediary. The remote user device 54
may include any of a number of computing devices including
desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc., as operable to
download the software products and execute the associated program
features as described above. The user device 54 as represented in
FIG. 4 may in various embodiments cover more than just a device
associated with a user wishing to view data associated with the
vehicle, but also may cover devices for predetermined contacts or
emergency medical service personnel that may be programmed with
respect to the local device 10 as automatic contacts in the event
of an emergency.
Referring now to FIG. 8, the various internal components of an
exemplary device 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention may include a control unit 62 such as a conventional
microcontroller having an I/O module 64, a processing unit 66, a
memory 68 effective to store for example device parameters 70 and
relevant access or security codes 72 and a memory 74 upon which
resides instructions or program modules 76 such as for example a
data filtering module 78, a speed calculation module 80, a sound
analysis module 82 and a vehicle status determination module
84.
While the terms "controller" or "control unit" as used
interchangeably herein may typically refer to a microcontroller
designed as described above and further programmed to perform
functions as further defined herein, it may in various alternative
embodiments refer to for example a general microprocessor, an
application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal
processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array, and/or various
alternative blocks of discrete circuitry as are known in the art to
perform functions as defined herein when so configured.
It may further be understood that the internal components of the
control unit are not limited to those described herein, that some
of the circuitry or program modules described herein may in fact be
redundant or unnecessary for a particular application, and that in
various embodiments two or more of the program modules described
may in fact describe a single program module effective to perform
like functions.
Further residing within or about the device housing(s) 10 and
functionally linked to the controller 62 may be without limitation
a vehicle motion sensor 86 such as an accelerometer and/or
gyroscope, a position sensor 88 such as a conventional GPS
receiver, a communications device 90 such as a cellular modem, a
local user interface 92 such as for example the button described
above, a microphone 94 or equivalent audio sensor, a display unit
96 such as for example the LEDs or other visual outputs, and an
audio output 98 effective to for example beep, ring or otherwise
alert the driver based on a programmed function. As but one further
example, the audio output 98 may be effective to provide real-time
voice functionality in addition to programmed alerts, such as may
be desirable in the event of an emergency by providing emergency
personnel, 911 operators, etc., with a direct outlet for
communicating via the local device with a driver.
Even further residing within the device housing 10 as represented
in FIG. 8 are an internal power supply 85 which may be coupled to
the external (onboard) power source 56 via for example the various
contact terminals 14, and an energy storage device 87 such as for
example a battery or a capacitor. In various embodiments, the
controller may be effective to determine whether the removal of
input power from the power source (via the contact terminals) is a
result of being forcibly ejected from the power source such as may
be the case in an accident, or merely having been removed manually
by the user. In the event that the device 10 is determined to have
been forcibly ejected (removed from the power source), the power
supply 85 may be triggered to switch from the power source 85 as a
primary power input source to the energy storage device 87 as a
secondary source, which may be configured to store at least enough
power that the microcontroller will have a period of time to
generate and transmit an event alert such as a voice call to a
remote entity (i.e., 911). The device 10 may preferably include
program instructions effective to execute a process for determining
forcible ejection, which may in certain embodiments include
confirming an accident condition in a manner substantially as
recited below and coincident with detection of the lack of power
from the primary source 56. In alternative embodiments the process
for determining forcible ejection may be substantially independent
from or otherwise unrelated to the processes described herein for
determining an accident condition.
It may be understood by those of skill in the art that one or more
of the components described above as residing within the housing
may be combined into a single component having the equivalent
features. For example, a communications device could within the
scope of the present invention further potentially serve as the
positioning sensor. It may further be understood that one or more
of the above-described components may in fact be unnecessary or
redundant for a particular application still within the scope of
the present invention, and the list of components is in no way
intended as limiting.
Referring now to FIGS. 5-7, various embodiments of a local device
configuration may be briefly described.
In one embodiment as represented in FIG. 5, a local device 10 is
fixed in position when plugged into the onboard power source 56 and
effective to transmit and receive data to and from a remote device
(i.e., smartphone, desktop, tablet, etc.) and/or the host server 44
via a communications network as substantially described above.
In another embodiment as represented in FIG. 6 (i.e., the so-called
"pregnant snake" configuration) the device 10 is divided up into a
first device module 58 which is coupled to the onboard power source
56 and a second device module 60 which is able to communicate with
the remote devices 54 and/or the hosted server 44 via the
communications network 42. Several of the internal components such
as for example the GPS receiver, cellular modem, microcontroller
and accelerometer may reside in the second module 60 and be
electrically coupled to the first module 58 and the associated
power supply via a cord. The first module 58 may still have a front
face upon which the button is supported, but in this configuration
the first module 58 or otherwise the portion of the device 10 which
is physically coupled to the cigarette lighter socket may be
smaller as needed or otherwise desirable. The second module 60 in
this embodiment would still need to be rigidly attached to the
vehicle interior by a bracket or equivalent attachment mechanism in
order for the accelerometer to function reliably. To escape the
need to securely stabilize the components not contained in the
first module 58, however, the accelerometer could alternatively be
placed into the first module 58 and thereby fixed in position
relative to the vehicle while the remaining components are not
fixed but remain electrically coupled to the power supply via a
wire.
In another embodiment as represented in FIG. 7, the local device 10
may embody two separate devices 10a, 10b respectively coupled to
two separate onboard power sources 56a, 56b around the vehicle.
Either or both of the separate devices may be further separated
into a first module 58a, 58b and a second module 60a, 60b as
described with respect to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. Through
RF technology or an equivalent these otherwise independent devices
may communicate with each other and function as a single device or
local system having redundancy features such as for example
confirmation of a detected vehicle status.
As previously described or otherwise implied above, a local device
10 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention
may communicate and interact with other devices via a connector
and/or cable such as for example a 30-pin cable or an embedded
communications device such as an RF module. The device can
communicate with a mobile cellular device, another device connected
to an onboard vehicle data gathering module (e.g., via an OBD-II
port as is known in the art), other sensor devices attached to the
vehicle, and/or devices used to communicate with the driver in the
vehicle. Interaction between a mobile cellular device and the local
device 10 may be for the purpose of programming or setting up the
local device 10 and/or viewing data from the local device 10.
Interaction between a device connected to the OBD-II port and the
local device 10 may further be established for the purpose of
collecting data from the vehicle which would otherwise be
unavailable but useful within the scope of the present invention,
or even for the purpose of allowing the local device 10 to operate
alternative vehicle functions such as for example the opening or
locking of car doors, windows, trunk, etc. The data to be collected
may further include without limitation vehicle speed, airbag
deployment, vehicle braking, and various additional information as
may be supplied from the engine control unit (ECU).
Also as previously mentioned, the local device 10 may have a small
button associated with the housing for user programming.
Alternatively or in addition, it may be desirable to provide
another physical input/output port on the device housing such as
for example a USB port for external cable connection and
programming, or even a USB cable connector integral with or
otherwise for example extendable from the housing to establish a
connection with a USB port of a programming device. However, in
various embodiments it may be desirable to omit such a physical
programming mechanism and instead rely on wireless programming
methods. One such method for programming the local device 10 may
include accessing the hosted user interface (website) where some or
all of the device/system parameters may be setup and then a message
sent to the local device 10 to adjust the settings. This may
generally involve providing a list of programmable settings for
user selection, and subsequently providing either a data entry
field or a series of user selectable parameters in association with
each selected program setting. The predetermined contact
information (e.g., telephone numbers) to be used by the local
device in case of an accident or other predetermined extreme event
via text messaging (e.g., SMS) can also be programmed through the
website. The local device may further include an identification
code and/or security code which is further entered via the website
so that for example the website knows which device to program or
confirms that authorization exists for the same.
In addition, or in the alternative, programming for the local
device may be carried out via a mobile computing device such as for
example a smartphone, for example wirelessly or using a hardware
connector that is attached to the device. Setup proceeds in
substantially the same manner or via similar pathway as that
described with respect to the website. As an alternative to
entering a device-specific code, there may in certain embodiments
be a predetermined radius of for example several feet around the
local device where a remote device can auto-connect with the local
device and allow programming through the local device's RF module
(or equivalent). This auto-connect feature may be for example
triggered by the depressing of a small-pin sized programming button
on the device.
In various embodiments, the local device may be programmed to
continuously collect and transmit data associated with the vehicle
to the host server for storage in the database. Further, the local
device processes vehicle data to determine vehicle status
conditions such as for example an emergency event/accident, or more
broadly a driving status which may include safe, unsafe or merely
cautionary status modes. In other embodiments within the scope of
the present invention, the vehicle status conditions may be
determined remotely on for example the host server based on
received data associated with the vehicle having been transmitted
on a more or less continuous basis via the communications
network.
Referring now to FIG. 9, an exemplary embodiment of a method 100
for determining an accident condition as a vehicle status may be
described. The method 100 may be executed in accordance with a
computer program product as described above, and the platform for
executing data communications and program functions included herein
may include without limitation an interrupt-driven, event-driven,
and/or polling architecture as well as any equivalents as are
conventionally known in the art.
The process may start (at step 102) upon power being initially
provided to the local device via vehicle ignition, initial plug-in
to the onboard power source, etc. Once power has been supplied to
the device, the microcontroller may begin receiving acceleration
data from the accelerometer of the local device (step 104). If the
acceleration data is greater than a predetermined acceleration
threshold of for example 3G's (i.e., "no" in response to the query
of step 106), the process returns to step 104 and continues to
monitor the acceleration data. If an acceleration reading (or
alternatively a set of acceleration readings where the data may be
averaged and filtered for any of various reasons) exceeds the
acceleration threshold (i.e., "yes" in response to the query of
step 106), the process continues to step 108 and the vehicle speed
may be determined. In certain embodiments the device may rather
than relying on a predetermined acceleration threshold include
neural network processing algorithms for recognizing vehicle
acceleration patterns and comparing current vehicle acceleration
data with an acceleration threshold that has been determined by the
microcontroller, perhaps as adjusted from a predetermined initial
acceleration threshold in view of the recognized patterns.
Upon determining a vehicle speed or a series of two or more vehicle
speed readings (step 108) and storing the vehicle speed reading(s)
(step 110), the process then determines whether the change in speed
is consistent with an accident in view of for example a change in
speed being greater than a second predetermined threshold (step
112). If the change in velocity is less than the second
predetermined threshold (or for example where only one velocity
reading has been taken and therefore no rate of change can be
determined) the process is then directed to step 114. If a
subsequent acceleration reading determines that the vehicle
acceleration has dropped below the first threshold (i.e., "yes" in
response to the query in step 114), the process continues by
erasing the stored velocity data (step 116) and then returns to
step 104. If the vehicle acceleration remains above the first
threshold (i.e., "no" in response to the query in step 114) the
process returns to step 108 and the microcontroller takes
additional velocity readings.
If at any point a vehicle acceleration reading is determined to be
greater than the first threshold and the change in vehicle velocity
is determined to be greater than the second threshold (i.e., "yes"
in response to the query in step 112) the process continues by
acquiring position coordinates for the vehicle via the position
sensor/GPS (in step 118) and then reporting the accident pursuant
to programmed instruction by for example transmitting vehicle
position data and other programmed data to predetermined personnel
such as EMS, family, friends, etc. (in step 120). In this manner
detailed feedback regarding specifics of an accident may be
provided, such as for example how the accident occurred, the order
and direction of impacts over the course of the accident. This
information may be used to estimate likely injuries to passengers
in the vehicle and assist emergency personnel in allocating
resources for dispatch to the emergency site.
Various additional modes of operation as further described below
but without limitation to the specific modes recited herein may be
activated by the user via engaging of the main button on the device
housing. The local device may be programmed to perform any one or
more of the modes upon activation or engaging of the button based
for example on user selections via either or both of the host
website or a program application via a remote computing device
(i.e., smartphone handset).
In one exemplary mode of operation, the local device may have been
programmed to treat the button as a help button, wherein upon
activation of the button by a user the local device transmits an
SMS and/or email message to a predetermined number and/or address
with for example an alert and the location of the vehicle as
determined from the GPS receiver. In an embodiment, activation of
the button may automatically trigger a call to a public safety
answering point (i.e., 911), which may be supplemental rather than
merely an alternative to other predetermined contacts and/or
addresses. The voice call may in fact be preferable over the SMS
option as a mistaken activation of the button may be easily
identified by the emergency personnel.
In another exemplary mode of operation, the local device may have
been programmed to treat the button as a position indication and
notification button, wherein upon activation of the button by a
user the local device transmits a vehicle location as determined
from the GPS receiver to a predetermined location such as for
example a social networking site associated with the driver, a
group, a destination, etc. In this manner a user that is running
late for an event may notify others collectively without sending
several individual text messages or email messages.
In another exemplary mode of operation, the local device may have
been programmed to treat the button as a tracking toggle button,
wherein upon engagement of the button by a user a tracking feature
is successively activated and deactivated. The tracking feature may
include continuous transmission of vehicle position data and any
other appropriate data as received or determined by the local
device to a remote site such as the host website. One example of a
tracking feature may include the tracking of service personnel,
where the local device is plugged into a service provider's vehicle
and customers of the service provider who are waiting for service
can use the host website (or alternatively a web portal associated
with the service providers themselves where such features are
appropriately established) to actively track the current status of
the vehicle along a service route (for example) and better
determine when they can expect service. In a second example, the
local device may be plugged into a delivery vehicle (i.e., mail,
FedEx) to facilitate the tracking of packages that have been
confirmed as loaded onto the particular vehicle. The present status
of the button (i.e., the underlying tracking feature) may be
indicated to the user by for example a light or through the use of
an audio signal via the speaker.
In another exemplary mode of operation, the local device may have
been programmed to treat the button as a business mileage logging
button, wherein upon engagement of the button by a user a business
mileage logging feature is successively activated and deactivated.
When the feature is activated, the local device may be programmed
to send a message to a remote program that keeps track of business
mileage. The message may include a current odometer reading,
wherein the remote program can perform business mileage
calculations based on a previous message and associated odometer
reading. Alternatively, the local device may be programmed to begin
tracking mileage upon a first engagement of the button, and upon a
second engagement of the button to determine a mileage since the
first engagement and to transmit a message including the determined
mileage to a remote program.
In another exemplary mode of operation, the local device may be
programmed to treat the button as an "I'm Lost" button, wherein
upon engagement of the button by a user the local device transmits
an email to a predetermined contact along with the vehicle location
on a map and a request to call the user.
In another exemplary mode of operation, the local device may be
programmed upon engagement of the button by a user to record a
sound clip or sound message and subsequently to transmit the
recorded sound clip or message to a predetermined destination such
as for example one or more email addresses or a social networking
site (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, etc.). The sound clip or message may
be recorded for a predetermined length of time after the button has
been initially engaged, or alternatively the local device may be
programmed to record a sound clip or message for as long as the
button remains engaged by the user, either by remaining depressed
or, as with the tracking feature, by remaining in a toggled "on" or
"off" position.
In another exemplary mode of operation, the local device may be
programmed upon engagement of the button by a user to transmit a
message including vehicle location data received via the GPS
receiver to a predetermined website. The website may be configured
to generate and place a pin or equivalent indicator on an
associated map upon receiving the message, wherein the user may
later access the map and see and label the "pins" on the map
without forgetting their location. The website may further
associate other data such as for example a time stamp, a user
identifier, voice clip taken from the device, etc., with the
location "pin."
Referring now to FIG. 10, in an embodiment the local device 10 as a
cigarette lighter adapter may be replaced by a computer program
product installed on and executable by a mobile cellular device 54
such as for example a smartphone. The mobile cellular device 54 may
be any of a number of equivalent devices (such as for example the
iPhone by Apple) as are equipped with onboard sensors that in
combination with the computer program product are effective to
provide automatic crash notification and event data recording
within the scope of the present invention. Such onboard sensors
(not further shown in the various figures) include but are not
limited to the accelerometer/gyroscope, GPS receiver and
microphone.
The computer program product may upon execution by the device 54
generate a user interface on the associated display screen by which
the various parameters for the program may be set by the user, as
well as display collected vehicle data, vehicle status information
and other visual indications or cues as programmed. An example of
such a visual indication may be a current speed limit for a
particular stretch of road which is recognized by the program based
on a GPS-determined location and comparison of the location with
that same location on a digital map having speed limit data, as may
be further described below.
Referring to FIG. 11, another method 200 of detecting a vehicle
status and more particularly an accident condition, as may be
performed by a computer program product executed from a smartphone,
may include supplementing of movement data as described above by
further using sound data.
The previously described method 100 determined an accident based
upon acceleration and rate of change in velocity readings that are
consistent with an accident, and consequently with conditions under
which airbag deployment would be expected in theory but without
explicit confirmation. In an effort to eliminate false positives,
the data from the accelerometer/gyroscope may be substantiated
using the microphone to detect the impulse/noise physically
generated by airbag deployment or an equivalent sound sufficiently
representative of an accident. As embodied in the algorithms of the
computer program product of the present invention, this allows for
the mobile cellular device 54 to detect and explicitly confirm
accidents where for example the airbag is in fact deployed, or at
least is determined to have been employed with a substantially
higher degree of certainty.
The process may begin in step 202 by confirming that the mobile
device is in fact located in a moving vehicle. Since a mobile
cellular device does not remain in a vehicle at all times, such an
assessment is necessary to avoid false positives. This can be done
by using the GPS receiver, accelerometer or various combinations of
sensors to discern when conditions being experienced by the device
are consistent with being in a vehicle. The real time detection of
circumstances allows the application to run in the background of
the mobile cellular device 54 without the program being executed to
assess movements for potential crashes when otherwise not
applicable. In an alternative embodiment, however, this step may be
omitted or skipped by programming the device to perform the vehicle
status determination sequence only upon manual execution of the
program by a user rather than automatically detecting vehicle
movement.
In an effort to conserve battery life, in various embodiments the
accelerometer may be the only sensor that runs the entire time that
the program product is engaged. Typically, when the program is
passively running in the background it only draws data constantly
from the accelerometer. The data from the accelerometer is used to
determine when the device 54 (handset) is transported into the
interior of a moving vehicle. This change in environment can be
discovered using velocity and duration of velocity data, as the
speed achieved in a moving vehicle coupled with the time spent at
that speed is only rarely achieved outside of a moving vehicle.
Velocity data can be garnered by integrating the acceleration data
from the accelerometer as the area under the acceleration curve is
the velocity.
However, while the accelerometer can detect changes in velocity it
cannot detect absolute velocity without being made aware of initial
velocity (a reflection of the unknown variable that results when
integrating). This means that after the program is launched initial
velocity will first need to be calculated by enabling the
additional sensors (step 204) and then using the GPS receiver.
Ideally, absolute velocity would only need to be calculated once
when the program is initiated and after that point would be
accurately updated using the accelerometer data. Due to accuracy
issues, however, using the accelerometer data alone is not
sufficient to maintain accurate absolute velocity. In order to
maintain a precise velocity value over time, the initial velocity
may be updated via the GPS receiver. This update process may happen
based on a set value that determines how often this occurs, such as
for example every ten minutes. Assuming that the accelerometer data
indicates the device is in a moving vehicle, the other sensors will
start collecting data to aid in the full functioning of the
application.
Even when the program is executed and fully functioning in "active
mode," it may continue to check data from the sensors to confirm
that it is, in reality, in a moving vehicle (step 206). This
continuous checking serves at least two purposes--it confirms that
the judgment to turn on all of the sensors based on accelerometer
data was accurate, and further triggers the program to turn off the
sensors when the data from the sensors indicates that it is no
longer in a vehicle (step 208). Upon the sensors determining
collectively that the device is no longer in a vehicle (or never in
fact was), the program returns to passive mode where it only draws
data from the accelerometer.
The process of returning the program to passive mode may in various
embodiments require that the data from the sensors have determined
that the device is not in a moving vehicle for some predetermined
period of time. This substantially serves to prevent the program
from returning to passive mode in congested traffic or other
routine stops along the road.
In an alternative embodiment, the process of returning the program
to passive data may include a step of determining the user is in a
position associated with the location of a road. This may be
performed by for example using map data which has been previously
downloaded to the associated device, or receiving signals from a
remote server having performed the step which are representative of
the user being on or off of such a position. If the determined
position of a user does not coincide with a mapped road location,
the process may either determine that the user is not in a moving
vehicle based on the determined position alone, or may seek
confirmation prior to returning to passive mode, such as for
example based on the aforementioned movement data results.
The process continues in step 210 when a sound has been detected by
the program as being consistent with airbag deployment in the
vehicle, while the program is in active mode. The noises/impulses
that the microphone detects can be interpreted in two fashions, by
analyzing the sound signature or by detecting the occurrence of a
given threshold (measured in for example decibels--dB--as is
conventionally known in the art). The more complex method of sound
evaluation involves matching the sound signature collected by the
microphone to that of a sampling of airbag detonation sound
profiles. The more simplistic method of sound evaluation requires a
threshold dB to be reached to conclude that the airbag has been
deployed. Due to the extremely loud nature of airbag deployment,
the noise can be uniquely identified by a threshold. Airbag
deployment generates peak pressures between 167 and 173 dB which
are higher than a typical mobile cellular device such as for
example an iPhone can register. This means that in the event of
airbag deployment the device's microphone will be saturated (for
example, the current version of the iPhone's microphone saturates
at 120 dB). Similar to the iPhone, most cellular phones do not
contain microphones that are sensitive enough to accurately measure
the pressures/impulses/noises generated by airbag deployment. This
means that the microphone in the cellular device 54 can saturate
when events other than an airbag deployment occur, and further
explains why sound detection may desirably be used in conjunction
with other data points to detect a crash.
Therefore, in step 212 the process continues by confirming the
accident reading via other device sensors such as the
accelerometer, in a manner which in various embodiments may be
substantially equivalent to that of the process 100 described
above.
If the detected accident condition is not confirmed by other
sensors (i.e., "no" in response to the query of step 214) the
process returns to step 206. If the detected accident condition is
in fact confirmed by other sensors (i.e., "yes" in response to the
query of step 214) the process continues to step 216 and the
program is triggered to report the accident in a manner which in
various embodiments may be substantially equivalent to that of the
process 100 described above.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention as
described above, the algorithm that assesses accidents may further
apply a probability algorithm to maximize the efficacy of accident
detection. Different values are assigned to the various sensors
which are included and activated at a given time, and their
respective indications. This may reduce the likelihood of accidents
going undetected where not all of the sensor inputs indicate the
certainty of an accident, while at the same time substantially
avoiding false positives.
In another embodiment, a real time feedback method in accordance
with the present invention may deliver audible and/or visual cues
to a driver after an unsafe driving maneuver has been detected.
Regardless of whether the local device 10 as a cigarette lighter
adapter or the mobile cellular device 54 using the computer program
product is being utilized in accordance with the present invention,
the vehicle status may include a determination of whether or not
the driver is adhering to "safe" driving practices based on for
example a comparison of detected vehicle speeds and/or acceleration
with predetermined safety thresholds. Where a mobile cellular
device 54 is used to execute the program, or is otherwise available
and communicating with a local device 10, the visual cues may be
displayed on the display for the device, possibly by flashing an
icon or a colored screen. The audible alert, projected out over the
speaker built into the handset, may generally be a safer way to cue
the driver to risky driving behavior as the audible alert does not
require the driver to avert their eyes from the road.
Referring now to FIG. 12, an exemplary embodiment of a real time
feedback method 300 may begin when an associated local device
(i.e., cigarette lighter adapter) or program product (i.e., in a
mobile cellular device) is activated, powered or otherwise enabled
to detect vehicle movement, at which time a number of unsafe
driving alerts (N) for a particular driving session is reset to
zero (step 302). The device/program then begins generating or
otherwise obtaining movement data and position data associated with
the vehicle in a manner substantially similar to that described
above (step 304).
In step 306, the method continues by determining whether or not
abrupt changes in velocity or acceleration have exceeded a
predetermined threshold (safety limit). In the embodiment shown,
the primary sensor at work in assessing dangerous driving
conditions is generally the accelerometer, as it may easily detect
both abrupt increases and decreases in velocity (i.e., high
magnitude acceleration or deceleration) as key indicators of unsafe
driving. Alternatively or in addition, the GPS receiver may be
utilized to provide safety feedback by detecting vehicle
speeds.
If the change in velocity or acceleration is determined to have
been greater than the predetermined threshold (i.e., "yes" in
response to the query in step 306), the method proceeds to step 308
and an unsafe driving alert is generated for the benefit of the
driver, which may be visually and/or audibly generated and provided
as previously described. The number of unsafe driving alerts is
subsequently incremented (N=N+1) in step 310 and then the new
number of unsafe driving alerts is compared to predetermined
threshold number of alerts (step 312). If the number of unsafe
driving alerts that have been generated during a single driving
session exceeds the predetermined threshold (i.e., "yes" in
response to the query in step 312), the method may in various
embodiments proceed by generating and transmitting correspondence
such as for example an email or SMS notification to a predetermined
third party regarding the number of unsafe driving alerts. The
email or text message may include for example the date, time,
location, user name, type of unsafe driving practice (where
available), number of unsafe driving alerts (N), or any of various
other user-selectable options.
If the change in velocity or acceleration is determined to have
been less than the predetermined threshold (i.e., "no" in response
to the query in step 306), the method instead proceeds to step 316
and a stored speed limit is obtained with respect to a current
position for the vehicle, as determined from the position data. The
stored speed limit may be obtained from a digital map or the like
which may further be stored in a remote database which is
continuously accessed via a communications network, or at least
relevant portions of the map may be stored in a memory on the
device 10, 54. Where a speed limit is not stored for the current
position, this step can obviously be skipped or omitted. Where a
speed limit is available, however, the method then includes
comparing the instantaneous velocity of the vehicle with the
obtained speed limit for the instantaneous position (step 318) to
determine if an unsafe driving event is occurring.
In various embodiments, the obtained speed limit may be incremented
by a predetermined "offset" or "buffer" amount which may be set as
a percentage (e.g., 10%) or an absolute number (e.g., 10 MPH) such
that the comparison is actually between the instantaneous velocity
of the vehicle and a value corresponding to the buffered speed
limit.
If the instantaneous velocity is greater than the stored speed
limit, or otherwise the stored speed limit with the predetermined
buffer amount applied thereto (i.e., "yes" in response to the query
in step 318), the method proceeds to step 308 and continues as
previously described. If the instantaneous velocity is less than
the stored speed limit, or otherwise less than the stored speed
limit with the predetermined buffer amount applied thereto (i.e.,
"no" in response to the query in step 318), the method instead
moves on to step 320 and the device/program may transmit the
movement data and position data to a remote server such as for
example the host server as described above. In various embodiments
the movement data and position data may be stored locally,
collected and transmitted at periodic intervals rather than
continuously transmitted. Finally, the method may (in step 322)
confirm that the vehicle is still in transit or otherwise that the
real time feedback program is still active or enabled, consistent
with the battery conservation method as previously described.
As described above, speed limit data may be obtained from a remote
server and associated database. In accordance with the present
invention, the remote database may in certain embodiments include
raw data which has been received or otherwise acquired from a third
party such as for example the Department of Transportation (DOT).
By doing this for every state a complete database of road speed
limits can be acquired and used to populate a hosted or otherwise
central remote database for use in real time driver feedback. The
database may be considered to have substantially correct speed
limits in such cases, but some of the speed limits may become
outdated during the time between database updates being performed
by the associated agency.
In various embodiments other factors may come into play in
determining unsafe driving maneuvers or circumstances. For example,
the vehicle may have sensors or equivalent mechanisms for detecting
conditions such as for example nighttime conditions,
less-than-desirable weather conditions such as fog, rain and snow,
or congested traffic conditions which might heighten the negative
effects from unsafe driving. The method 300 may in such embodiments
be supplemented in terms of the number of steps or otherwise to
modify the various thresholds in order to account for the various
non-optimal driving conditions and provide alerts as
appropriate.
Referring now to FIG. 13, an exemplary speed limit database
updating method 400 is described as may be performed by the host
server of the present invention in accordance with device input
from a number of drivers utilizing local devices 10 or cellular
devices 54 running the computer program product of the present
invention. As with other methods of the present invention described
herein, in various embodiments some of the steps may be considered
optional or redundant, and the sequence in which the steps are
provided may not be limiting unless a first step provides a
condition precedent for continuation of the method.
The method 400 includes a first step 402 of populating the host
database with speed limit data from a third party source such as
for example the DOT. It may be understood that while a continuous
update is preferable, this step may generally not be performed on
any kind of a continuous basis, but rather in accordance with an
expected update period as provided by the third party. Where the
third party may for example update speed limits as they become
known rather than provide periodic updates to the entire database,
the host server may be programmed to request speed limit updates
from the third party at predetermined intervals to encompass
changes that have been made in the interim.
The host server then receives movement data and position data from
a vehicle source (step 404, see also step 320 of FIG. 12) and
stores the received movement data in association with a location as
determined from the position data (step 406). Ideally the location
may correspond to a database portion having speed limit data as
populated from the third party source, such as for example a
particular stretch of road including position coordinates matching
those of the received position data. Where no database portion
having speed limit data corresponds to position coordinates
matching those of the received position data, the method may
include a step (not shown) of creating a new database portion
associated with a new location or otherwise uncharted road or
stretch of road with respect to the latest data from the third
party source.
The stored movement data may be aggregated (in step 408) with other
movement data having been previously received and stored with
respect to the same location or associated locations (such as an
equivalent stretch of road) to generate for example an average and
a median speed recorded from that particular location, while still
maintaining the individual data points. In various embodiments the
movement data may be dated and/or other data of interest appended
to the stored data entries, such that for example speed limit data
from the third party source that is received on a particular date
is not revised in view of vehicle data that was previously received
and stored. It may be desirable to eliminate data points that are
recorded as having been stored for more than a predetermined amount
of time, being for example greater than the interval for updating
the database with data from the third party source, which may
reduce the potential effect of old readings on aggregate data.
If a concentrated number of drivers in a particular area provide
device input, then the host database may be updated in near real
time for that particular area. This is possible because the average
speed, disregarding outliers, on a given road would theoretically
be consistently deviant from a posted maximum speed limit. Outliers
may be eliminated or otherwise disregarded (in step 410) in
accordance with a first threshold deviation value with respect to
the remainder of the movement data stored in the host database for
a particular location/area.
The deviation value may be determined by analyzing the aggregated
movement data from the plurality of vehicle inputs with respect to
a location/road with a known speed limit. If data points on a given
road are found to be outside of a normal or expected range for the
particular speed limit as indicated by the third party source, the
host server may act by adjusting the speed limit data in the
database (step 412). The determination may further include
confirming that the plurality of vehicle inputs satisfy at least a
threshold degree of confidence, such that for example a sufficient
number of readings are available or that the number of readings are
within a narrow enough band to instill a minimal degree of
confidence as needed to support maximum speed limit adjustment in
accordance with the present invention.
Recall that in describing the real time driver feedback method 300,
the process included a step (316) of obtaining a stored speed limit
for a current position, and the stored speed limit may be offset by
a predetermined offset or buffer value which may be an absolute
offset value or a percentage offset with respect to the stored
speed limit. In various embodiments, the local device 10 or mobile
cellular device 54 running a computer program product in accordance
with the present invention may obtain an adjusted speed limit value
from the host server as derived using the speed limit database
updating method 400 as further described herein. In this case, the
buffer value may become redundant, as the updated speed limit value
inherently represents a safe driving speed range as determined from
the various data points received, stored and aggregated by the host
server in association with that particular area, which accounts for
the buffer value itself with respect to the underlying fixed speed
limit. For example, while generally stated a road having a 55 MPH
speed limit may nevertheless be safely navigated at 62 MPH in which
case a buffer is desirable to prevent unsafe driving alerts at such
speeds, a particular stretch of the road may have blind spots,
tight curves, or the like, which would eliminate the desirability
of using a buffer in such cases.
Another case where the buffer value may be considered redundant is
where a process in accordance with the present invention is able to
rely on information from a sufficient number of vehicles on a
particular road in real time. In this case, real time traffic
information may affect the determination of an unsafe driving alert
where for example the various vehicles are traveling at a mean or
median speed with a relatively small deviation (e.g., less than a
predetermined deviation threshold or otherwise within an associated
range based on the detected speeds and a predetermined deviation).
A subsequent determination that a particular user/driver is
traveling within the associated range may in such an embodiment be
considered to overrule an otherwise unsafe driving condition, as
the driver would be permissibly traveling within the flow of
traffic.
In certain embodiments, a road safety mapping method may further be
performed by a program executed from the host server, which may be
a subset of the speed limit database updating method or otherwise
independently executed. Such a method includes an algorithm for
monitoring accidents and other unsafe driving events (e.g., extreme
acceleration/deceleration events) as derived in accordance with
methods previously described above. The events may be archived on
the host server or equivalent remote central server. Overlaying the
database of extreme events collected from the various users of the
host system on a map using geo-coordinates, tagged to the events,
generates a safety map. The safety map indicates locations where
users/drivers have had accidents or otherwise generated unsafe
driving alerts such as where they have been determined to have
accelerated or decelerated in an extreme fashion. Knowledge of this
aggregated data allows users with access to it to avoid dangerous
roads or junctions when possible and to be extra alert when having
to navigate them. After a large sample of data has been collected,
road sections and intersections can be mapped in colors indicating
their riskiness, much like traffic status is currently depicted on
may global positioning systems.
In an embodiment, systems and methods in accordance with the
present invention may further be able to provide audio and/or
visual alerts to a user indicating that a relatively unsafe stretch
of road is upcoming or otherwise anticipated (based, e.g., on
current heading, speed, alternative roads).
In an embodiment, systems and methods in accordance with the
present invention may implement a road safety mapping method as
described above to determine that unsafe driving practices were
used by a driver with respect to a particular stretch of road, even
where not otherwise accounted for by the available speed limit
data.
In an embodiment, systems and methods in accordance with the
present invention may further implement a road safety mapping
method as described above to generate an optimal route between a
starting point and an ending point based upon a number of criteria,
which may include for example and without limitation an estimated
amount of time needed to navigate each of a plurality of routes and
a road safety value for each route. The road safety value may be
determined by for example aggregating a number of dangerous
locations along the route in accordance with predetermined
weighting factors. The road safety value may further account for a
number of times the driver has been recorded as previously
traveling the given route, or data indicating road construction or
other current road data that requires accounting.
Once a comprehensive database of road safety data is compiled
insurance companies may be able to for example evaluate insurance
rates taking into consideration the risk of the roads upon which
the policy holder drives.
The previous detailed description has been provided for the
purposes of illustration and description. Thus, although there have
been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a
new and useful "System and Method for Automatic Traffic Accident
Determination and Notification," it is not intended that such
references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this
invention except as set forth in the following claims.
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